One of Kent\u2019s landmark tourist attractions is receiving \u00a3865,000 funding to carry out \u201cessential maintenance\u201d and repairs.<\/p>\n
The Turner Contemporary art gallery, which cost \u00a317.5 million to build on Margate seafront, turns 15 years old this year.<\/p>\n
The Turner Contemporary has been awarded government funding for maintenance works<\/p>\n
Arts Council England has given it the sum to Kent County Council (KCC) from its Creative Foundations Fund – part of the government\u2019s \u00a3127.8 million Arts Everywhere project.<\/p>\n
Funding has also been given to various creative venues, museums and libraries around the country.<\/p>\n
The money will be used to fix essential systems such as roof access and protection for maintenance work, renewing lightning protection, and ensuring fire escape doors function properly.<\/p>\n
Upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems will also be carried out.<\/p>\n
KCC also wants to enhance the gallery \u201cto meet international exhibition standards\u201d, improve accessibility with step-free access and install solar panels with the cash.<\/p>\n
Further details about the exact works required for the building have not been confirmed and KentOnline has requested more details from KCC.<\/p>\n
The Turner Contemporary was opened in 2011<\/p>\n
It comes just over three years after a \u00a31.6 million restoration scheme to repair the glass exterior and boost the building\u2019s fire protection to the latest standards.<\/p>\n
KCC helped fund the Turner build and subsidises some of its annual operation costs.<\/p>\n
The council says the funding is \u201cspecifically allocated for essential maintenance and capital works to safeguard Turner Contemporary\u2019s building and ensure it remains safe, accessible and operational well into the future\u201d.<\/p>\n
It added that this will \u201chelp protect the gallery\u2019s infrastructure\u201d.<\/p>\n
Georgia Foster (Ref), KCC cabinet member for communities and regulatory services, said: \u201cThe Turner Contemporary plays a vital role in Kent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough its world\u2011class exhibitions, it brings people together, inspires creativity and supports wellbeing at every stage of life. It also plays a key role in underpinning the regeneration of our coastal communities.<\/p>\n
The Turner Contemporary will get solar panels, improved access, and better exhibition spaces<\/p>\n
\u201cThis funding is about protecting an important public asset and making sure it continues to serve residents long into the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cI welcome this investment, which will help ensure people can continue to access high\u2011quality arts and cultural experiences, without placing additional pressures on local budgets later on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clarrie Wallis, director of the Turner Contemporary, added: \u201cTurner Contemporary is deeply grateful to receive this support from Arts Council England\u2019s Creative Foundations Fund in the very week we celebrate our 15th anniversary.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince opening, the gallery has welcomed five million visitors and generated over \u00a3100 million for the local economy. This grant has been awarded to enable essential maintenance to the building.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One of Kent\u2019s landmark tourist attractions is receiving \u00a3865,000 funding to carry out \u201cessential maintenance\u201d and repairs. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":399946,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,308,93,1901,61,60,18846,160270],"class_list":{"0":"post-399945","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-human-interest","15":"tag-ie","16":"tag-ireland","17":"tag-kent","18":"tag-thanet"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=399945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399945\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/399946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=399945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=399945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=399945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}